SIP, SAVOR, REPEAT

Sip cocktails made from house spirits and craft beers, like the Pre-Prohibition Lager or Tropic Wonder blonde ale, at Lucky Bucket Brewing Company and Cut Spike Distillery in La Vista. Tours are also available the first Saturday of each month. Plan a tasting at Mac’s Creek Winery & Brewery in Lexington. For only $5 per person, you can sample a combination of five craft beers and wines. In Raymond, visit Windcrest Winery and taste your pick of 15 handcrafted wines, including award- winning selections like the La Crosse dry white and the full-bodied Crest Red.

GIDDY-UP

Adventure through the Nebraska National Forest on horseback. Located in the Sandhills near Halsey, the forest features three horse campgrounds with easy access to equestrian trails. Trail rides are available at Chadron State Park from Memorial Day to Labor Day each year, so you can explore the buttes and canyons of the Pine Ridge in Nebraska’s first state park. Schedule a ride with Dusty Trails in North Platte. This outdoor outfitter offers short and long trail rides through Buffalo Bill’s Scout’s Rest Ranch and along the North Platte River.

GET YOUR HANDS DIRTY

Visit one of Nebraska’s local working ranches to experience a day in the life of a rancher. At Rowse’s 1 + 1 Ranch in Burwell, you’ll get the real cowboy experience, learning how to sort, rope and brand cattle, and even driving the herd. Lend a hand in livestock feeding, haying and fixing fences, and learn how ranchers train their horses, when you stay at Crawford’s Our Heritage Guest Ranch. Discover how to run a cattle ranch at Burchard’s Big Blue Ranch and Lodge. Plus, there are some excellent opportunities for fishing, hunting and animal watching here as well.

PICK YOUR OWN YUM

Pick your own strawberries, raspberries and pumpkins at Bellevue Berry Farm & Pumpkin Ranch in Papillion. This unique farm experience also includes hayrides and a western frontier town that transforms into a ghost town and haunted house each fall. Shop the Apple House Market for farm and vineyard delights, like the famous apple cider, signature wines and seasonal fruits grown at Arbor Day Farm in Nebraska City. Pick your perfect pumpkin at Roca Berry Farm. This Roca pumpkin patch and berry farm has become a popular attraction for families, featuring an ice cream shop, corn maze and kids’ games.

GO ON SAFARI

Ready for a North American wildlife adventure? The Lee G. Simmons Conservation Park & Wildlife Safari in Ashland is a four-mile, drive-through experience where you’ll spy elk, bison, waterfowl and white-tailed deer. Explore 668 acres of Nebraska’s natural history at Pioneers Park in Lincoln. Walk the trails to see bison, elk, deer and birds of prey on exhibit at the nature center. Take a two-hour tour of Stable Productions Exotic Animal Ranch in Seneca to see all types of wildlife from potbelly pigs and porcupines to zebras and a kangaroo.